Autism Service Dogs

As a dog owner, I can attest to the rewards and challenges of sharing a home with a dog. It is my love of dogs and my interest in science that has made me interested in the impact of service dogs on the lives of individuals with autism and their families. 

Dogs have been used to aid individuals with medical conditions and disabilities since 1929. The American National Service Dog program began to provide dogs for individuals with autism in 1996. Research on the impact these dogs have on the families they join is not as thorough as I would have liked, but I did find 2 Canadian studies, which I thought were worth sharing. 

Kristen E. Burrows and Cindy L. Adams (2005) conducted a qualitative investigation with 10 Ontario families with a service dog.  They found that in general parents found the dogs to be a “valuable addition”. The most important reason given for this was that the dog improved the safety and security for their child both at home and in the community. As safety and security were increased, parents felt they could take their children to more places in the community.  Not fearing safety and being able to access the community was reported to have improved the quality of life for all members of the family. 

Parents in Burrows and Adams (2005) study also reported a decrease in anxiety in their children. Sonia Lupien, a professor at the University of Montréal, also reported this finding in her work. The research she and her colleagues conducted found a significant decrease in the stress hormone cortisol in the person with autism, after the introduction of a service dog to the home. Parent in both studies also reported a decrease in problem behaviours after the introduction of the dog.

While the benefits of having a dog appear to be great, dog ownership is not without its challenges.  Parents in the Burrows and Adams (2005) study found they often had to fight for public access rights both in the school system and the community in general.  Also, integrating the dog into the family and the extra work required in the care of a dog (including: exercise, training, grooming, feeding, preparing the dog to go to the community), were also listed as challenges. I can speak from my own experience that my dog takes about 2 hours of my daily time to provide the care and exercise she requires. This time commitment is something all potential dog owners need to consider before adding a dog to the household. 

While more research into the direct impact of having a service dog needs to be conducted, this limited preliminary work is very promising.  There is no price that can be put on improvements in safety and reduction of anxiety. However, regardless of the potential gains, the challenges of owning any dog seriously need to be considered before making a dog part of your family. Unlike other tools we use to aid our kids, dogs are living creatures, who have their own needs. If you are considering adding a furry friend to your home, please make sure that the dog will fit into your life and the benefits will be greater than the cost.

Kristen

Happy Holidays!

The elves have been hard at work getting Spectrum ready for Christmas. They have made us laugh, they have made us smile, they have decorated our halls with their beautiful art. We couldn’t have done it without them! So, from all of the staff at Spectrum Intervention Group, we wish you a safe and happy holiday!

 

Extinction—what it is and how to use it

When our children are exhibiting problem behaviour, behavioural therapists will often advise parents, caregivers and instructors to ignore the problem behaviour and put it on extinction.  Extinction involves withholding or terminating the reinforcing element that maintains an undesirable or problem behaviour.   Take the classic example:  the child wants something (food, a toy, attention, to be left alone) so he or she screams until whatever it was that he or she wanted appears.  The child has learned, this is good, it got me what I wanted and I’ve got to do that again.  In that case the reinforcing element (the toy, attention etc.)  is maintained by the problem behaviour of screaming.  Extinction in this instance would be not producing the reinforcer when the child screams.  The child can have access to the reinforcer only if she or he asks in any way that does not involve screaming (takes your hand and points, asks for your attention in a nice voice, signs for the item, gives you a PEC, gives you a “Need a break” card).  In other words, the former “effective” manner (screaming) will no longer get the child the desired reinforcer.  Screaming for a reinforcer is on extinction.

Extinction in the example does not decrease the behaviour of screaming.  To use extinction effectively, you must ignore the problem behaviour and not reinforce it by “giving in” when the problem behaviour occurs.  However, you should have an alternative behaviour that you are willing to reinforce.  The child may have that alternative behaviour already or he or she may need to be taught it.  The child will learn that screaming is not going to get what he or she wants like it used to, so the child will find new ways to get the same results. Quite often this will mean putting behaviours that used to achieve results on extinction until a new or a better way of getting the outcome becomes solid.   It is our job to teach our children effective, more socially acceptable ways of communicating their wants and needs and so that they can be successful and happy.

Debbie

Positive vs. Corrective feedback

Here's a little task for you - think of several different types of occasions when your child is in your care:  

               1. A learning situation - either homework or play based

               2. A fun child centered activity 

               3. A time when your child engages in high rates of challenging behaviour (for most parents this happens when they are busy doing some sort of household task such as laundry, making dinner or even talking on the phone).  

The next time that each situation arises take some data on your own behaviour.  Keep track of the number of both the corrective and positive statements that you make.  Corrective feedback refers to times where you request that your child modify their behaviour.  Examples include: cross your legs, sit on the chair, no, not that way - do it like this, look when you say hi, smile at Grandma, stand still, try that again, that's not very nice etc. Examples of corrective feedback are endless.  Positive feedback includes: Great job, you did it, nice one, you got it, good for you, well done etc.  Again these are endless.  

Stop here.  Don't read and further.  Take some time to do your homework.  Be honest in your data collection so that you get an accurate representation.  Take an accurate recording for each occasion and then come back.

Now - here's a number for you:  There are guidelines for providing feedback, recommending that the number of positive to corrective feedback should be 4:1.  How did you do?  Give yourself a pat on the back if your numbers were close but, there are many many times where this is not the case.  If you didn't achieve these numbers it's okay - but now it's time to modify your behaviour.

Reasons for positive feedback:

• It can (though does not always) serve as reinforcement, thus increasing the future rate of behaviour that you are commenting on.
• It helps to build and maintain a positive rapport between you and your learner.
• A history of positive feedback can generate motivation to engage in behaviour that has contacted positive feedback in the past.
• It can lead to an increase in receptivity to future feedback (both positive and corrective).
• It can promote self awareness, self confidence and performance with in certain situations

There are times where providing positive feedback is quite easy, your child is being compliant and responding appropriately to an ongoing situation.  The key here is to remember to offer high rates of feedback.  Sometimes our thinking is: if it's going well then leave it alone - ignore that advice and continue to offer your praises. 

It is when there are high rates or intensity of challenging behaviour that this becomes more difficult.  Finding a way to deliver positive feedback in light of a problem behaviour is not easy.  Monitor the situation carefully, following the behaviour, provide praise for small steps.  Catch your child being good often, even if good is not as good as usual take the best they can do right now.

Over time offering frequent and balanced feedback becomes second nature.  

Emily

Some Great Websites - For Activities, Worksheets and More

Over the past couple of weeks I have had a few parents ask me about websites for resources for their children.  Now to be fair I am not talking about websites for information on Autism but websites with worksheets, games, activities and some just that are just for fun that their children might enjoy.  So I thought it would be fun to share some of the websites we use at spectrum.

Themes:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/
http://www.littlegiraffes.com/
http://www.first-school.ws/
http://www.kinderkorner.com/

Worksheets:
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/
http://www.tlsbooks.com/
http://www.kidslearningstation.com/
http://www.softschools.com/

Other (has multiple activities):
http://funschool.kaboose.com/
http://www.thekidzpage.com/
http://fun.familyeducation.com/

Just for fun:
http://www.starfall.com/
http://pbskids.org/
http://www.poissonrouge.com/ - find the link to english and then click on the fish in the heading to pass the main page
http://www.thewiggles.com.au/au/playground/


We use all of these websites for different activites, worksheets and games.  Please note that sometimes we do modify activities we find on the internet for the abilities of our learner or to better suit our programming goals but this list does have a good variety of ideas so everyone should be able to find something they need.

Have fun.

Anne

Adapting the Environment – Design changes you can do at home

All people experience the world differently. I for example can hear at a frequency that many others cannot. As a child I hated visiting one local store. I would cry and say it hurt my head while covering my ears. My parents thought I was making it up to avoid visiting the store. One day, while complaining in the store, the store clerk told my parents they had a silent alarm. It was at a frequency that most people could not hear. However, a few people like myself could and complained about it “hurting their heads.”  After this, my parents did not require me to do errands in this store with them. If I had not had the language to explain to my parents and the clerk my problem, they may have continued to make me go there and I would have continued to suffer.

It has been suggested that many individuals with autism have different sensitivities to environmental stimuli that most other people are not bothered by and therefore suffer as I did with the alarm. It is often challenging to determine what the problem is because many people with autism aren’t able to clearly communicate what is bothering them. Their lack of ability to communicate may lead them to engage in less than desirable behaviours such as rocking, humming, escaping, covering their ears or aggression.

Recently I had the opportunity to discuss this with a designer who shared with me some suggestions for designing a bedroom for an individual with autism. These suggestions are taken from Mostafa, Magda: An Architecture for Autism: Concepts of Design Intervention for the Autistic User. Retrieved from: ArchNet, and can easily implemented at home.

1.A monochromatic color scheme in a room instantly produces a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

2.Cool colours such as blue or green may be soothing.

3.Having lights on a rheostat (dimmer) switch allows the individual to adjust the light to meet his/her needs

4.Some more common household furnishings may provide sensory benefit. A memory foam mattress may offer compression and proprioceptive input. Chairs with a swivel glider or rocking mechanism are an easy way to introduce vestibular stimulation.

5.Solid fabrics and floor covering may prevent the eyes from fixating on potentially distracting patterns.

6.Installing a swing may provide various sensations.

As a behaviour analyst I know that we cannot change behaviour, we can only change the environment that supports them. Making these sort of simple environmental changes, may have an impact on the individual with autism’s behaviour.

Happy Designing!

Kristen

CONGRATULATIONS TO SPECTRUM'S LYNNE THIBODEAU WHO IS NOW OFFICIALLY A BCBA!!!

Your Attention Please!

Years ago when my son was first diagnosed with autism, I heard the words “joint attention” and only had a vague idea of what it was all about.  People told me to engage my child, share in activities, have fun, get silly, look at books with him, sing—all things any parent would do with any child.  What I didn’t know then was what to look for and how to work on joint attention.

What is joint attention?

Joint attention is a social behaviour and a pivotal skill necessary for imitation, attention, reciprocation, play and language skills.  Both the parent and the child share their attention on an object or an activity in the environment and in typically developing children, you will begin to see this between 9 and 15 months of age.  It is important to develop as it encourages the value of interaction with people.  Joint attention can take two forms:  responding and initiating joint attention.  In responding to joint attention, the parent is looking for the child’s attention to a particular object or activity.  For example the parent says:  “Look at the kitty!” and the child alternates his or her gaze from the cat in the room to the parent and back to the cat.  This is shared attention, where the gaze alternation could occur several times while the two are looking at the cat. With initiating joint attention, it is the child who makes a bid for the parent’s attention by pointing to, indicating (through gestures, vocalizations or words) or showing something of high interest and checks in with the parent to see if the enjoyment is mutual.

How do I work on joint attention?

Much depends on your child or learner’s preferences.   Joint attention can be as simple as you activating the buttons on a toy and the child looks to you with a look that says “do it again! That was fun!” or you can indicate an expected response in a book (“there’s the pig. A pig says “oink, oink”) to show the child something you know is of interest to him or her (“Look!  Arthur is riding his bike with Buster” as you watch an episode of Arthur).  Your response should always suggest the fun of the shared moment with encouraging looks, comments and repetition of the action or a similar one.  You know you have it when your child or learner practically begs you for your attention by looking at you expectantly, by pointing to the object of interest and seeing if you are paying attention too.  You should create several moments like this throughout the day:  during play, at bath, bed time, during meals.  It’s a great way to make momentary connections with the child and it’s a pivotal skill for promoting communication and language.

Remember, a look is worth a thousand words.  When the look comes through joint attention, it just feels like magic!

Debbie

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM SPECTRUM INTERVENTION GROUP

Gaining Instructional Control

For the past 6 years I have worked in numerous home programs with children on the spectrum. During this time I have had the privilege to meet many loving parents, dedicated grandparents, and supportive brothers and sisters in each of these homes. And although each family had unique behavioural challenges that they wanted their child’s at-home team to address, the one constant always seemed to revolve around something called instructional control. Of course, the comments usually weren’t phrased in such terms but rather came out like this: “He seems to really listen to you…I can never get him to do (x, y, z). How did you do that?”.

My answer to these queries was always, “I’ve worked really hard on gaining instructional control”

But what is instructional control?

Essentially, instructional control refers to our ability to gain a child’s willingness to follow our instructions and do the many things we ask him or her to do. At Spectrum Intervention Group, we have found Robert Schramm’s “Seven steps to earning instructional control with your child” to be a helpful resource.  You can find this resource at: http://www.autismbehaviorconsulting.com/pdf/InstructionalControl_7steps.pdf.  By following the steps outlined below, you too can start gaining instructional control with your child.

The seven steps to earning instructional control with your child

By Robert Schramm, MA, BCBA

1)    Show your child that you are the one in control of the items he wants to hold or play with and that you will decide when he can have them

Then, an easy way to start gaining your child’s willingness to listen to you is to give him simple demands he is likely to follow. An example of this is giving your child things he likes like pieces of chips while giving him the instruction to eat them. Another example might be giving him multiple cars to put down the ramp when he’s sitting nicely beside you and then hold the last one back a little until he looks at you or asks for the car.

2)    Show your child that you are fun by making each interaction you have with him an enjoyable experience

Pair yourself with fun toys and activities that your child is motivated to engage in by:

1)    Giving him ‘freebies’, where you don’t always expect something in return for an item

2)    Use non-verbal and declarative language mainly (i.e. it’s better to manipulate the items and make silly sound effects and comments than to have your child see you as ‘the one that always asks questions and expects something in return!’)

3)    Say what you mean and mean what you say

When you give your child an instruction, expect him to follow through on it. Do not reward your child for escaping a demand you’ve placed on him by letting your instruction go unfulfilled. If you’ve asked him to sit down to eat his snack and he hasn’t sat down, do not give him his snack until he has complied with your request.  By being consistent in following through on your demands your child will learn that it is in his best interest to listen to what you say.

4)    Show your child that following your directions is to his benefit and the best way for him to obtain what he wants

Once you have control over your child’s preferred items/reinforcers you can use them to support any appropriate behaviours/instructions he demonstrates. The more you reinforce a specific behaviour, the more it will increase. By that same principle, if you do not reinforce behaviour it will not increase.

5)    In the early stages of earning instructional control with your child, reinforce after each positive response moving to an ever increasing variable ratio of reinforcement

Schramm states that as your child’s willingness to follow your instructions improves, you can move from a reinforcement ratio of one to a variable ratio (VR) of 2 to 3. This means that at the beginning, you need to reinforce every instance of a specific behaviour. Once this is consistent, you can work towards reinforcing him after every second time he engages in that behaviour and so on (ex. Initially you might have to reinforce him after every time you ask him to sit down on his chair in order to increase this behaviour. After he starts to demonstrate this behaviour more consistently, you can work to reinforce him after every second or third time he engages in this behaviour).

6)    Demonstrate that you know your child’s priorities as well as your own

Know what your child likes and wants and use those items to your advantage when teaching. Remember, your child needs to be able to work for a wide variety of reinforcers in order to avoid satiation/diluting the value of a particular reinforcer (i.e. Chocolate chip cookies might work as a reinforcer for a while but eventually there’s a good chance that your child will get sick of them. If you don’t know what other powerful reinforcers your child is willing to work for, how would you reinforce him after the cookies lose their effect?).

7)    Show your child that ignoring your instructions or choosing inappropriate behaviour will not result in the acquisition of reinforcement

Be consistent in what you expect from your child. If you ask him to do something, withhold reinforcement until he has followed through with your request. If you say no, then that should mean no, no matter what inappropriate behaviour he engages in (i.e. crying and repeated requests for an item will not result in the acquisition of the item you have said no to).

Stephanie

IEP's

Hi everyone - it is that time when the first IEP of the year is due.  (The IEPs are due 30 days into the school placement).
Many parents have reported that they do not feel as prepared as possible for the IEP and don't fully understand how they can contribute.

Here are some websites that might be of interest:
1.  For general info - please see:  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/speced.html

2.  Once there, click on "The Identification, Placement, and Review Committee" for more info on the IPRC process.

3.  For further info on the IPRC process - please see: 
Highlights of Regulation 181/98 - http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/hilites.html
*This includes information such as who can request an IPRC and who can attend, and what is decided at an IPRC meeting.

4.  Further information on the individual education plan - (IEP) - please see:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/individu.html
From this link, it is noted that:   "An IEP identifies the student's specific learning expectations and outlines how the school will address these expectations through appropriate accommodations, program modifications and/or alternative programs as well as specific instructional and assessment strategies."
Note - once at the link noted for the IEP - there are links to two documents that will be of interest.

5.  I would also recommend taking a look at PPM 140 - Incorporating Methods of Applied Behaviour
Analysis (ABA) Into Programs for Studens with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/140.html, which identifies two main requirements for school board staff:

a) School boards must offer students with ASD special education programs and services, including, where appropriate, special education programs using ABA methods.
b) School board staff must plan for the transition between various activities and settings involving students with ASD.

Lynne

A parent’s holiday weekend survival guide

With the Thanksgiving weekend fast approaching it seems like a good time to prepare for the hustle and bustle of family visits and dinners.  For a child on the spectrum this can mean changes in routines and a decrease in predictability, thus resulting in an increase in problem behavior and stereotypy.

Here are some tips to help things run smoother:

·         Choose your battles:

o   This is not the weekend to teach new goals and work on emerging skills.

o   For example, if your child is refusing to say hi to “Great Uncle Jon”, can you please both parties, by selecting a greeting that your child finds easier to engage in, while “Uncle Jon” feels acknowledged.  How about giving a high five or even a wave instead? Reduce the effort so that your child has a greater opportunity of being successful.

·         Don’t over plan.   Leave room for downtime.

o   Be sure to schedule time for you and your family to have some quiet time.  Holiday’s can quickly become over-planned and under-enjoyed.   Make a conscious effort to create opportunities for your child to access preferred activities – even if it’s something that you typically don’t like to promote (such as movie watching, computer use, even repetitive use of cause and effect toys) let things slide a little this weekend so that your child has an opportunity to unwind and get away from all of the demands that come with holiday celebrations.

o   If a walk in the woods with Grandma and Grandpa is on the agenda, sandwich it between 2 preferred activities.  Try not to plan back to back engagements that could be perceived as very effortful by your child.

·         Whether it’s for dinner or an overnight stay – bring activities

o   Visits with larger groups of family can be overwhelming and over-stimulating for most of us.  For a child on the spectrum, this can hold even truer.

o   Bring favorite activities and toys from home.  This will offer a sense of comfort and predictability to your child’s weekend.

o   Allow your child to be away from the group, where they can access their things in a manner that is not disruptive to everyone.

·         Make a schedule

o   You can either write it out or use pictures depending on your child’s abilities.

o   Go through the schedule in advance and reference it frequently throughout the weekend to ensure that the child understands what is happening. 

o   With more information provided to your child about their weekend schedule, the more likely problem behaviours can be decreased or even avoided.

·         Now is not the time for brussel sprouts…

o   Holiday foods are often rich and flavourful and could be foods that we don’t eat on a regular basis.  Lets face it – who has gravy smothered stuffing pulled out of a turkey more than a couple of times a year?

o   Choose your battles – this is not the time to worry about a limited food repertoire.  You have the rest of the year to focus on that.

o   Bring some back up food items to ensure that your child does not go hungry in the face of brussel sprouts and green bean casserole.  Things that will help them to enjoy their holiday dinner too.

·         Relax

o   This is your holiday too.  You deserve a break.  Schedule down time for yourself – a book, bed or bath is well deserved.  Make sure to make time.

Emily

Sensory Fun with Foam

Tactile sensory experiences are one of the easiest to create.  Lots of items have their own texture and feels that can be fun to play with.

If you child regularly seems to be looking for tactile feedback:

·         Craves touch, needs to touch everything and everyone

·         Repeatedly touches surfaces or objects that are soothing

·         Seeks out surfaces and textures that provide strong tactile feedback

·         And thoroughly enjoys and seeks out messy play

     Here is a tactile sensory activity that may be fun for them.

Playing with Foam

What you need:

·    Shaving foam – there are lots that are hypoallergenic or for sensitive skin

·    Something to put the foam in or on – we use a large container but you could also play with it on a table top (you may want to put down a plastic table cloth because it will get messy).

·    Any other toys that your child likes and can get messy

·    Anything you want to add to enhance the fun. Some ideas are; paint, coloured water in spray bottles, sparkles.

What to do:

·    Spray the foam and play

Why it a great activity:

·    It can be easily modified to the level of any child. Examples: You can practice simple mands/requests or long sentences.  You can practice receptive instructions or having your child label items and give a peer directions. Anything is possible.

Some examples of what this activity can promote:

·    Doing a fun activity together pairs yourself with positive reinforcement

·    Can be used to elicit mands/requests of all types; asking for an item, answering where questions, yes/no manding, etc

·    Can be used to build language.  Examples – practice prepositions, following directions, giving directions, attributes, etc.

·    Help fill a sensory need for the child

·    FUN!!!

Anne